Remember yesterday’s photo of the ram who was a little…UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL?
Well, here’s the story!!
While we were at B-Tex Game Ranch, a group of Aoudad rams was arriving to join the property. We were excited to watch them come out of the trailer and take in their new surroundings.
When the truck arrived, Michael and I stationed ourselves behind the entrance, ready to photograph and video the action.
And there was ACTION!!
The first ram came out of the trailer and turned in our direction…
I mean…REALLY our direction!!
I took one photo…
Then realized that he was coming straight toward the spot where Michael and I stood!
We both FROZE.
Fortunately, the ram ran right BETWEEN us!!
But through it all, I kept clicking…
And Michael kept rolling…
Apparently, our camera instincts were working even when our feet weren’t!!
Needless to say, once he had passed, we moved even FARTHER behind the opening.
All of the other rams headed in the opposite direction, and we were perfectly happy to photograph them from there!
It certainly wasn’t the photo opportunity I had expected.
But at least I kept clicking!!
Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!
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This past week, Michael and I spent three days at B-Tex Game Ranch near Olney, Texas.
The property is about 100 miles from where we grew up, and being there felt a little like coming home.
There was the familiar 90-plus-degree heat…..the wind… and, of course, the DUST!!
But plenty of things also brought a smile to my face.
Prickly pear cactus…
LOTS of prickly pear cactus…
And mesquite trees…
Although those 1½-inch thorns deserve a healthy bit of respect!!
We saw plenty of white-tailed deer…
But some of the ranch’s residents came from MUCH farther away!
Meet this nilgai bull, a species native to India…
I especially loved this “family portrait” when the whole group gathered together for one photo…
Everybody look this way!!
We also saw Père David’s deer, a rare species from China…
They found the stock pond and were enjoying a little mud cooling!!
And groups of sheep and rams…
We spent two days driving around the property, watching the animals and enjoying the scenery.
For me, it was a wonderful combination of familiar Texas surroundings and animals that I don’t get to see every day!
And speaking of the animals…
Take a look at THIS fellow…
He deserves a story of his own!!
Come back tomorrow, and I’ll tell you how we ended up getting so UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!
Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!
Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!
And, before we knew it, it was time to board the helicopter and head back to the Beira airport…..
We were quickly skimming along the runway and heading over the forest…..
When we left here back in 2023, I wrote the following. I changed the names to represent this current trip but the sentiments are the same……
There is something about C11 that gets under your skin!! Even with finding scorpions on my bedspread, collecting a leach on the floodplain and showering with brown water, I would return in a heartbeat
Seeing the animals roaming freely and living their lives in an area where no animals used to exist gives credence to Mark Haldanes vision. And the vision continues with lions, cheetahs and now even pangolins.
But the true heart of C11 are the people. Mark’s irascible personality infects everyone in camp and you are immediately considered part of the family!!
As I said goodbye to the camp managers it was with a very heavy heart but I know that they will continue to bring joy to many others who come after me
I am thankful for those camp helpers who took care of our every need, from bringing a pot of tea each morning to returning our washed clothes each evening.
Ben, Tasco and Jorge (our guide and trackers) were amazing, always on the lookout for animals but equally attentive to our personal needs
I am writing this as we fly back to Beira and civilization and honestly I am tearing up as I think about all of these lovely people.
So….thank you Mark Haldane and everybody at Coutada 11….you guys are the very best!!!
After a night in Johannesburg and an easy trip back to Atlanta, I can say that our 2026 African adventure is over.
But don’t worry… There are more adventures in 2027, including a trip to the Arctic Ocean (living in an Inuit village) and 10 days in Spain, fulfilling my lifelong dream of visiting Barcelona.
Thanks for joining me!!
Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!
Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!
Last weekend, I talked about finding a buffalo that could provide meat for the local village.
We arrived there around 9:00, to find that there was a celebration in progress…..
The singing and dancing continued as the men of the village cut up the buffalo meat and distributed it to the women.
I giggled at one woman who walked over and took away the bucket being used as a drum, and added it to the lineup of waiting buckets.
After the distribution, the village “secretary” signed the receipt for the meat…..
This is done because the Mozambique government allows a certain number of “village” buffalo to be taken each year, and this is the documentation that they need.
We spent the rest of the day driving on the outskirts of the floodplain and enjoying the scenery.
These white trees are called “Fever Trees”…..
They were named that by some of the first settlers, who noticed that many people fell ill with “the fever” after sleeping under the trees. The truth is that malaria-carrying mosquitoes loved the trees and the mosquitos would bite the sleepers….
The area is dotted with the VERY tall “Fan Palm” trees…..
Lunch was served in style….
Ben even offered to put up two hammocks and let us take an after-lunch nap. It was VERY tempting!!
Ben is a woodworker and showed us lots of different types of trees. I was particularly enamored with the Ebony tree…..
Look at how black the wood is…..
These lily pads and flowers brightened my day as we walked…
This is our last night at ZDS and we enjoyed our final “firepit” and amazing desert….
Come back tomorrow for some final thoughts!!
Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!
Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!
We were still on the hunt for an old Cape Buffalo that we could give to the village to provide meat for the families. Since we had not found the one in the forest area, it was time to head to the floodplains.
These floodplains are extremely flat, low-lying areas associated with the Zambezi Delta. During the wet season, water spreads across portions of this landscape. As water levels subsequently fall, the exposed ground supports productive grasses and other vegetation.
The area provides an interesting landscape, with large open areas and small islands of trees….
Because of the varied terrain on the floodplain, they use a particular vehicle called a “Bandvagn”. It runs on two tracks, similar to a tank, and is amphibious as well.
We picked up our trusty steed at a camp close to the floodplain….
It is not a particularly comfortable ride, but what this vehicle can do is amazing.
Notice how easily it transitioned from dry land to crossing a stream and then back to dry land again!!
We stopped numerous times for Ben to “glass” the area for animals. His favorite perch was on the highest point of the vehicle!!
Unfortunately, because the vehicle is so loud (as you heard), it can only be driven up to a certain point. Then you have to cross the area on foot.
AND, because the floodplain is littered with swampy areas, you end up having to cross some. We had to cross ONE!! The water was almost up to my waist, and the mud was thick and sticky, meaning that your feet would slide all the way under the mud and then you would have to pull your feet out to continue. Our guide, Ben, told us to point our toes when we were pulling out of the mud, and it would help. Unfortunately, it is hard to pull your feet out like that AND maintain your balance!!
That was where Jorge came in to play. As I struggled through the water and mud, he magically appeared at my right elbow, placed his hand under my armpit, and somehow kept me upright as we crossed. We were both all smiles when we got to the other side….
I had on lightweight nylon pants, and this was how I looked after the crossing….
Fortunately, it was warm, and the pants soon dried. The shoes were disgusting and, upon arrival in camp, were whisked away to be washed. They were dry and ready for us the next day!!
We spent most of the day on the floodplain, and finally killed a Cape Buffalo that would be appropriate for the village food stores.
Now came one of the most surreal parts of the trip. Ben needed to communicate with the camp (his wife) and tell her of our arrival time, etc. There was NO cell phone service in the area, so he pulled out a box that contained a Starlink Mini, set it up on the front of the BV and, just like that, we had SCREAMING FAST internet….in the middle of the bush of Mozambique!!
Technology is amazing!!
Next weekend, we will finish up our trip to Mozambique, including delivering much-appreciated meat to the villages and a fond farewell. Be sure to come back for that!!
Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!
Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!
